Selection Report: Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2017

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Overview

The Industrial Transformation Training Centres is a scheme that fosters close partnerships between university-based researchers and other research end-users to provide innovative Higher Degree by Research (HDR) and postdoctoral training for the end-user focused research industries vital to Australia’s future.

The objectives of the Industrial Transformation Training Centres scheme are to:

foster opportunities for Higher Degree by Research candidates and postdoctoral fellows to pursue industrial training

enhance competitive research collaboration between universities and organisations outside the Australian higher education sector

strengthen the capabilities of industries and other research end-users in identified Industrial Transformation Priority areas.

Selection process

Proposals for projects commencing in 2017 opened on 11 October 2016 and closed on 15 December 2016. Proposals were submitted through the Australian Research Council (ARC) Research Management System (RMS). This report outlines approved recommendations from the selection process for that round.

The ARC prepared funding recommendations for submission to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The outcomes were based on advice from the Selection Advisory Committee (SAC) which:

assessed proposals and reviewed assessments made by independent assessors

reviewed applicants’ comments on assessors’ reports

ranked each proposal relative to the others on the basis of the proposal, the assessors’ reports and applicants’ responses to those assessments

assessed and recommended budgets

recommended proposal feedback;

and, advice from the ARC Eligibility Committee which:

considered eligibility issues identified by ARC staff, the SAC or independent assessors

where required, sought advice from institutions with respect to issues raised

The ARC assessment and subsequent reporting process for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2017 used a total of ten SAC members and was managed in RMS. A total of 97 independent assessors’ reports were submitted to the ARC for Industrial Transformation Training Centres 2017.

Summary of Outcomes

The ARC received a total of 26 proposals for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2017. There were no withdrawn proposals. The overall success rate was 34.6 per cent, higher than the success rate for the previous round of 22.2 per cent. Please note that within this selection report approved funding may include indicative funding amounts.

Partner Organisation contributions by sector

Partner Organisations were identified as either Australian, international, government, non-profit, industry or overseas higher education organisations. The Partner Organisation contributions in these categories for proposals approved for funding in 2017 are shown below in Table 5.

Note: All totals and percentages are shown using rounded figures, and as such may not sum.

Leverage of ARC funding

Of the 26 proposals considered, nine were approved with a total approved funding, over the life of these projects, of just under $37.0 million. There are 80 Partner Organisations involved with these proposals, committing a total of $29.9 million in cash and in-kind funding. This represents $0.81 from Partner Organisations for every dollar of funding from the ARC.

* A single proposal may select multiple Industrial Transformation Priorities

Science and Research Priorities

Table 7. Approved funding for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2017 by Science and Research Priority

Priority Area

Proposals considered

Proposals approved

Success rate (%)

Approved funds (over project life)

Food

6

1

16.7

$4,459,672

Resources

5

0

0

$0

Advanced Manufacturing

7

3

42.9

$12,171,524

Health

7

4

57.1

$16,421,269

Transport

1

1

100.0

$3,937,625

Total

26

9

34.6

$36,990,090

Total within Science and Research Priorities

26

9

34.6

$36,990,090

Percentage within Science and Research Priorities (%)

100

100

100

Table 8. Proposal data by Field of Research category for Industrial Transformation Training Centres for funding in 2017

Field of Research category

Proposals considered

Proposals approved

ARC approved funding over project life (approved proposals)

Chemical Sciences

2

2

$8,023,212

Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences

3

1

$4,459,672

Information and Computing Sciences

2

1

$4,133,659

Engineering

12

4

$17,250,055

Technology

2

0

$0

Medical and Health Sciences

2

1

$3,123,492

Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services

2

0

$0

Studies in Human Society

1

0

$0

Total

26

9

$36,990,090

Components

The components that can be funded in the Industrial Transformation Training Centres are Higher Degree by Research candidates (ICHDR) and Postdoctoral Fellows (ICPD). The component types, number requested and success rates are shown below in Table 9.

Gender

A total of 638 participants were named as Training Centre Director, Chief Investigator or Partner Investigator on all proposals considered in this round. Of these, 512 are male, 124 are female and two have chosen not to specify their gender. The success rates for male, female and participants who have chosen not to specify their gender in this round are 42.0 per cent, 29.8 per cent and 100 per cent respectively. Of the nine Training Centre Directors, eight are male and one is female.